In most cantons voting materials include the following:
a voter identification card with your first name and surnameuna carta di legittimazione di voto sulla quale figura il vostro nome e cognome
a complete set of pre-printed electoral lists that are being proposed by the parties/political movements/candidate groups, including official candidates’ first names and surnames
an empty electoral list (no pre-printed names)
a ballot envelope
voting instructions from the Confederation
Note: This procedure may vary slightly among cantons.
Your voting materials in these cantons will include the following:
a voter identification card with your first name and surname
a voting list with all official candidates
in Nidwalden: a ballot envelope
in Obwalden: the mailing envelope is also the ballot envelope
Note: The cantons of OW and NW have only one seat each in the National Council. If there is only one candidate standing for election, that person will be tacitly elected and no voting papers will be sent for the National Council election.
Your voting materials in these cantons will include the following:
a voter identification card with your first name and surname
an empty electoral list (no pre-printed names) *
a ballot envelope
* In the cantons of UR, AR and AI, there is no official application procedure. In the canton of Glarus, the procedure is optional. You can find a list of the candidates on the website of the canton of Glarus (website available in German) and in the gazette of the canton.
Every canton should send voting papers for the National Council election at least three weeks (but not more than four weeks) before election day. In 2023 this will be between 24 September and 1 October.
In most cantons, voting papers for the Council of States election will be sent at the same time. But this is not the case everywhere: in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, the Council of States election is always held in April (this year it was on 30 April).
Note: Swiss voters resident abroad may be sent their voting papers one week earlier than voters resident in Switzerland.
Contact your commune of residence immediately if you have not received your voting papers by three weeks before the election:
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If you are resident abroad, contact the commune or canton where you are eligible to vote.
The web pages about how members of the National Council and the Council of States are elected provide more information on how to complete the electoral lists correctly.
You can find out how many seats your canton has in the National Council and the Council of States on the Number of seats in Parliament page.
Visit the Transparency of political funding in Switzerland page for more information on the new rules.
ch.ch also provides a (non-exhaustive) list of candidates for Parliament.